1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tether system for a ball and more particularly to a tether system for a ball, such as a soccer ball, the tether system being adapted to be fastened to oppositely extending tabs on the ball and including a simplified swivel fastener configured to be attached directly to the extending tabs in order to simplify the manufacturing process.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various practice balls are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,614,339 discloses a practice baseball which has a smaller diameter than a regulation baseball but has the same density as a regulation baseball so that it has the same feel as a regulation baseball. Other practice systems are also known and include tethered ball arrangements. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,227,450 discloses a practice football system which includes an outer jacket that is adapted to be attached to a regulation football. A pair of elastic cords are attached to the outer jacket and attached. at extending ends to stakes, which, in turn, are adapted to be pounded into the ground. U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,922; 5,620,186; 6,152,838; 6,352,484; 5,692,975 all disclose practice systems for soccer balls. More particularly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,922 discloses a training platform which includes a pair of space to part L-shaped members. The L-shaped members are configured such that a short leg of each member faces upwardly. Elastic cords are attached adjacent the ends of the upwardly facing L-shaped members. The other ends of the elastic cords are attached to a soccer ball. The platform is configured to hold the soccer ball at ground level to provide practice in kicking such soccer balls. Unfortunately, the system disclosed in the ""922 patent does not provide a good feel to the practice kicker since the elastic cords are relatively short.
In order to solve this problem tether systems have been developed in which the balls are attached to a tether that is anchored. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,227,450; 5,620,186; 6,152,838 and 6,352,484 relate to tether systems which include a cover that is configured to be placed over a ball. A tether is attached to the cover at one end. The other end of the tether is adapted to be anchored. U.S. Pat. No. 3,227,450 discloses a tether system which includes a cover that is.adapted to placed over a regulation football. The cover is adapted to be slipped over the football and must provide a relatively tight fit relative thereto and is thus rather cumbersome to use. As such, tether systems have been developed which include covers formed from criss-cross straps, attachable by way of a fastener system, such as Velcro. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,186 includes a pair of criss-cross straps which include a fastening system, such as Velcro, that is adapted to be placed on the outside of the ball. U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,838 and 6,352,484 similarly discloses criss-cross straps that are adapted to be attached to the ball by way of Velcro fasteners. Unfortunately, such systems have been known to come apart during practice, thus becoming burdensome to use. As such other systems have been developed in which the tether system is attached directly to extending tabs formed in the ball. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,542 discloses a tether system for a football in which an extending tab with a through hole is formed on one tip of the football. An elastic cord is attached to the extending tab by way of a swivel fastener. The swivel fastener prevents the cord from getting wound up. Unfortunately, the swivel fasteners disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,542 require the use of a separate ring to be attached between the through hole and the extending tab. In particular, the swivel disclosed in the ""542 patent is formed from five pieces and includes a pair of rings at each end. The swivel connector disclosed in the ""542 patent is relatively expensive and requires the use of additional rings to connect to the through holes in the extending tabs attached to the ball. As such, the tether system disclosed in the ""542 patent is more expensive because of the additional rings and the additional process step in connecting an additional connecting ring between the swivel and the through hole in the extending tab. Thus, there is a need for a relative less complicated and thus less expensive tether system for a ball.
Briefly, the present invention relates to a tether system for a ball, such as a soccer ball, which includes a simple swivel that is adapted to be connected directly to an extending tab on a ball. The swivel fastener is a two piece member. The two piece swivel is relatively less expensive than other more complicated swivel connectors, thus reducing the overall cost of the tether system. In addition, since the two piece swivel can be connected directly to on the ball, the tether system in accordance with the present invention also eliminates a process step of connecting the swivel to an intermediate ring, thus further reducing the cost of the tether system.